Woman conned out of £5,000 warns others about phone scam

A woman from Gloucester who was conned out of £5,000 is warning others not to fall victim to the same scam.

The fraudsters tricked Meg Jenisch into withdrawing the money from her bank by convincing her over the phone that her account had been compromised.

"I feel totally violated, and I am strong. And I want many people to know about this scam, as there are other elderly people who are totally alone."

Meg was told that a fraud was being investigated which involved her savings. The conman was so believable that he even told her that her bank might ask if she was being forced to withdraw her savings by someone else, and she should say no, as it would compromise the investigation.

A courier then turned up at Meg's door to check to see if her money was counterfeit.

"I just gave him the packet, and I don't even think he said thank you. But he didn't speak."

The police have warned that tricks like this are becoming increasingly common, with criminal gangs targeting the elderly and vulnerable.

Their advice remains the same - banks will never ask you on the phone to hand over personal details or money. If this occurs, you should simply hang up and call the police.